Post code: N-6000
Telephone code: 071
Situation and characteristics
The busy port and commercial town of Ålesund in western Norway lies on the islands of Nørvøy, Aspøy and Hessa, far out in the coastal fringe of skerries. It is Norway's principal fishing port, with fish-processing plants, as well as
shipyards and clothing factories. After a great fire in 1904 which destroyed almost all the town's old timber houses it was rebuilt in stone, and has many Art Nouveau house-fronts dating from that period.
The numerous houses built in Jugendstil architectural style were completed between 1904 and 1907 by 20 master builders and 30 Norwegian architects.
The city of Alesund joined the Art nouveau network, designed to safeguard the architectural style.